I am not to be trusted. I head to the Farmers’ Market with a clearly written list and rock solid resolve. And what do I return with? Way more items than intended and a feeling of panic. Where will I store all these plums? When will I have time to make pear jam? Should I freeze, can or hide the peaches?
Of course, things fall apart when I toss tomatoes designated for preserving into a salad or gobble a handful of blueberries because they are too perfect for anything else but in-the-moment indulgence.
You cannot imagine my relief — your maybe you can– when I stumbled up a couple of preserving methods that are as flexible on quantity as I am about my shopping list. The methods are outlined in the ever-so-handy Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving (Robert Rose ©2012).
Life’s short. Let’s start with the fruit. While the recipe calls for specific amounts, I soldiered on and made it with less than the requested amount of fruit. The leftover syrup formed the base of a very peachy makeshift Sangria. Seems you can have your boozy preserves and drink it, too. How perfect is that?
Below are two recipes. One for spirited fruit, as editors Judi Kingry and Lauren Devine intended. The other is for my improvised Sangria — just in case. I’ll post about preserving tomatoes once the alcohol from the pear and peaches wears off.
What do you do with your awkward quantities of fruit and veggies? I’m running low on freezer room and would love more ideas.
Spirited Fruit
| Serves | 7 8-ounce (250 mL) jars |
| Prep time | 20 minutes |
| Cook time | 25 minutes |
| Total time | 45 minutes |
| Dietary | Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Gluten-Free, Healthy Choice, Vegan, Vegetarian |
| Meal type | Preserves |
| Misc | Seasonal-Summer |
| From book | Ball Complete Book of Home Preserving: 400 Delicious and Creative Recipes for Today |
Ingredients
Fruit
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 cups water
- 7 cups sliced, pitted, peeled peaches, treated to prevent browning
- 7 cups sliced, pitted, peeled peaches, treated to prevent browning
Per 250 mL jar
- 1 tablespoon rum or brandy (OR 1 1/2 teaspoons liqueur like peach schnapps)
Directions
| Fruit | |
| Prepare canner, jars and lids. See notes section for link to detailed instructions. | |
Note
Spirited Fruit Variations:
- 4 cups sliced, pitted, peeled apricots, treated to prevent browning
- 8 1/2 cups quartered, peeled, cored pears, treated to prevent browning
- 12 cups washed and drained blueberries (process for 15 minutes)
- 5 cups cherries with pits (7 1/2 cups unpitted cherries if you want to pit them first) (process for 10 minutes)
How to Prevent Fruit From Browning: To prevent apples, apricots, peaches, and pears from turning brown once cut, submerge cut fruit in a mixture of 1/4 cup lemon juice and 4 cups water.
New to canning? Ball has detailed instructions, complete with videos, on how to get started.
Spirited Fruit Sangria
| Serves | 4 to 6 |
| Prep time | 5 minutes |
| Dietary | Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free |
| Meal type | Beverage |
| Misc | Seasonal-Summer, Serve Cold |
Ingredients
- 2 cups syrup left over from spirited fruit
- 1 bottle white wine , 750 mL (I used a vidal.)
- 1/4 cup orange liqueur
- 1 cup diced fresh fruit, if desired
- 1 handful chopped lemon verbena
- 2 cups seltzer water
Directions
| Put the syrup, wine, liqueur, lemon verbena and chopped fresh fruit, if using, in a jug. Stir and refrigerate until cold. | |
| When ready to serve, pour over ice, making sure you get some of the fruit (if you used it) in each glass. Add seltzer water to taste, and enjoy. | |
Note
Use any flavoured liqueur you think will go with the fruit. Ginger, orange, raspberry, cassis and cherry go well with most fruits.
My resolve of ‘just what you need’ before stopping at a farm turned into ‘sure, a bushel of roma tomatoes will be perfect’. Then, who can’t use a few more beets … and those lovely beans…
And the luscious ever-bearing strawberries … and those amazing apricots… and the carrots!
Two peas in a pod or what. I’ll post the tomato solution soon. It’s very easy and I’m thrilled to have found a method that doesn’t require you to purchase a bushel of veggies — although I do.
Enjoy the harvest!
Making a ‘rumpot’ using brandy, cherries and honey. After the required amount of time,(three months), I will strain and bottle juice. What to do with the fruit? Can’t waste it! Can I can the cherries………….. brandy soaked? Will my jars explode in canner?
I agree that you shouldn’t waste the fruit. Oh, the things you could make. I’m not sure about the canning. I haven’t tried canning fruit that has already been soaked in alcohol and would hate to mislead you. However, you should be able to freeze the brandy-soaked fruit. It would be much faster and the frozen brandied-fruit would keep for a good year.